Wire stretcher and splicer.



G. D; HAYES. WIRE STRETGHBR SPLIGER. APPLIOAITION FILED NOV. 6, 190a.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

2 BHBETB-BHEET 1.

f if i E flay/y; 4741;

' G. D. HAYES.

WIRE STRETGHEP. AND SPLIGER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1909. Patented Dec. 6,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 wryflfiii GEORGE D. HAYES, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLICER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 5, 1909. Serial No. 526,447.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. HAYES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful \Vire Stretcher and S-plicer, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device adapted to engagethe adjacent ends of two wires, to draw the said wires taut, means beingprovided for connecting the wires, at their adjacent ends, after thestretching operation has been completed, to form a secure union betweenthe wires. With these ends in view, the invention consists in a novelmechanism for stretching the wires, and in a novel splicing mechanism,which is adapted to be moved from one end of the device to the other, inorder that the ends of the two wires may be successively operated uponto complete the splice.

Other objects, incidental to the structure, will be pointed out as thedescription of the invention progresses.

The drawings show but one form of the invention, and it is to beunderstood that changes, properly falling within the scope of what isclaimed, may be made, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding partsthroughout the several figures of the tlrawings, wherein,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionon the line AB of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the ratchet wheel and lever, parts being broken away; F ig.5 is a side elevation of the grip. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of aportion of the lever shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a horizontal transversesection of the case, parts being omitted, the cutting plane beingindicated by the line CD in Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a plan showing thecompleted splice.

In the following description, the operator will be supposed to be facingthe device when the same is disposed as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings,and that-side of the device which is toward the operator will bedenominated the front of the device, the terms right, left, back, etc.,being selected accordingly. The primary member of the structure is acase 1 the same beingin the form of a relatively narrow box, closed uponall sides, saving for a chain opening at the right end thereof and achain engage a chain 6, one end of which is adapted to be extendedthrough the chain opening in the right end of the case 1, the other endthereof being adapted to extend through an opening in the bottom of thecase 1, beneath the sprocket 4. A housing 7 is mounted inside the case 1upon the front thereof, and this housing 7 carries a plurality ofrollers 8 which are adapted to engage the chain 6 to hold the same uponthe sprocket 4.

Secured to the shaft 3 is a pinion 5, in mesh with a smaller pinion 9,carried by a shaft 10 which is journaled for rotation in bearings 11 and14. The shaft 10 extends upon the outside of the case 1 and is providedwith operating crank 12, and the shaft 3 is provided with a suit-ablepawl and ratchet mechanism 100, whereby the tension in the chain 6 maybe maintained.

The invention further includes end plates or members 17, secured to bothends of the case 1. The said plates are identical in construction and adescription of one of them will suflice for the other. The intermediateportion of each end plate 17 is spaced apart from the end of the case 1,the lower extremity of the end plate 17 being brought into abutment withthe case 1 and assembled therewith, pivotally, by means of a bolt 18 orother retaining element adapted to a like end. The upper extremities ofthe end plates 17 are connected by a tie bolt 19, and the end platescarry inwardly projecting brackets 20, mounted at their upper ends uponthe tie bolt 19, and adapted to contact with the ends of the case 1, sothat the end plates 17 may notspring at their upper extremities.

Pivotally connected with each end plate 17 adjacent its lower end, is,as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, a forwardly extending arm 21, to whichis secured an upright movable jaw 22 disposed in alinement with the endplate 17. The tie bolt 19 is extended through the end plate 17 andserves as a pivotal mounting for the intermediate portion of a latch 23,adapted to engage the upper extremity of the movable jaw 22, to hold theadjacent edges of the movable jaw 22 and the end plate 17 in abutment.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910. 4

These adjacent edges of the movable jaw and of the end plate are cutaway to form a circular opening 24, adapted to receive a channel 26,formed in a laterally projecting neck of a ratchet wheel 25, the wheel25 being provided with a centrally disposed opening 27 and with aradially disposed slot 28 extending from the opening 27 to the peripheryof the wheel. The outer face of the ratchet wheel 25 is provided with anextension 32, from which outstand studs or elements 47.

For the rotation of the ratchet wheel 25, an operating lever 29 isprovided, the same comprising an inner member 30, having arms 49 adaptedto inclose the neck of the ratchet wheel 25, between the channel 26 andthe body proper of the ratchet wheel, the arms 49 being spaced apart attheir ends, as shown at 48. Secured to the member 30 of the lever, is anouter member 31, hav ing arms 50 adapted to inclose a portion of theperiphery of the extension 32 of the ratchet wheel. The member 31 isbent, intermediate its ends, to overhang the ratchet wheel 25, and, withthe member 30 carries a pawl 33 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 25.

By referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it

will be seen that the end plates or members 17 are somewhat broader thanthe case 1, and in the portions of the end plates which outstand beyondthe case 1, are terminally mounted guide rods 34, located relativelynear to the front of the case 1. A grip 35 is slidably mounted upon theguide rods 34, and by referring to Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, itwill be seen this grip 35 in cludes a U shaped member 37, between thearms of which is mounted. upon rods 34, a plate 38, a cam lever 40,pivotally mounted on the plate 38, being operatively connected with themember 37 to raise and to lower the same, the arms of the member 37 andthe edge of the plate 38 being provided with openings 41, adapted tomove into, and out of alinement with each other, under the action of thecam lever 40, to engage one of the wires which are being stretched andspliced.

In order that the end plates 17 may be maintained in a fixed relationwith respect to the case 1, a bolt 51, or other simple locking device,may be assembled with the case 1 and arranged to engage one of the endplates 17. By releasing this bolt 51, the end plates 17, pivoting at 18,may, together with the rods 34 by which they are connected, be tiltedoutwardly. away from the front of the case 1, and toward the operator.The extremity of the chain 6 may be provided with a clamp 44, of anyapproved construction, adapted to engage and to hold one of the wires ofthe fence.

The operation of the device is as follows t-The wire 42 is engaged bythe grip 35, the wire 42 extending through the grip and along the frontof the ase, past the right hand end of the case. The wire 43 is thenengaged by the clamp 44, a loose end of considerable length extending tothe left of the member 44. The crank 12 is then operated, reeling in thechain 6 until the wires are drawn taut, the wires being retained intheir taut relation by means of the pawl and ratchet mechanism 100. Theends of the wires 42 and 43 will, by the foregoing operation be extendedacross the front of the case, the end of the wire 43 passing through theopening 27 in the ratchet wheel, which, it should be understood, is, inthe present instance, mounted at the left hand of the device.

I deem it wise at this point to outline clearly and in detail, thepositions which the wires 42 and 43 occupy with respect to the severalportions of the machine, and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 may be examined'withprofit in connection with Fig. 1. Beginning at the left hand end of thewire 42, the wire extends through the opening 27 in the ratchet wheel25, between the arms 49 of the portion 30 of the operating lever 29,beneath the arms 50 of the portion 31 of the operating lever 29, throughand engaged in the openings 41 in the members 37 and 38 and the grip 35,along the forward face of the case 1, and through the opening 24 in theend plate 17 and the movable jaw 22 which are located at the right-handend of the machine. Beginning 'at the right-hand end of the wire 43, thewire extends through the clamp 44, through the opening 24 in the endplate-17 and the movable jaw 22 which vare located at the righthand endof the machine, along the forward face of the case 1, across, but notengaged by, the grip (since the holdof the parts 37 and 38 of the gripupon the wire 42 cannot be loosened to receive the wire 43), through theopening 27 in the'ratchet wheel 25, between the arms 49 of the portion30 of the operating lever 29, and beneath the arms 50 of the portion 31of the operating lever 29. to protrude be yond the left-hand end of thecase 1 as shown at 46. The lever 29 is then manipulated. causing arotation of the ratchet wheel 25, the studs or elements 47 engaging theend 46 of the wire 43, and wrapping the same about the wire 42. Aftertwo or three turns are made about the wire 42, the wires 42 and 43 willbe secured together. The pawl and ratchet mechanism 100 may then bethrown out, and the rotation of the ratchet wheel 25 continued,completingthe wrapping of the end 46 about the wire 42. The rods 34 arefree to slide in the gripping member 35 and, as the length of thewrapping 46 is increased, the case 1 may he slid to the left, so thatthe wrapping of the end 46 about the wire 42 may at all times be keptwithin the reach of the studs 47. As this wrapping of the end 46 aboutthe wire 42 is increased in length, the locking member 51 may be thrownout of engagement with the end plate 17, and the end plates tiltedforward, toward the operator so that the wrapping of the-end 46, as itincreases in length, may pass readily along the front of the case 1.

lVhen the wrapping of the end 46 about the wire 42 has been completed,the pawl 33 is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 25, andthe ratchet wheel rotated, until the opening 28 therein is brought intoalinement with the opening 48 in the member 30 of the lever. The latch23 is then manipulated, so that the movable jaw 22 may be opened. Thewrapping of the end 46 will then pass freely through the alined openings48 and 28, the lever 29 and the ratchet wheel being removed from theleft end of the device and mounted in place at the right end thereof.hen the lever and the ratchet wheel are thus mounted, the operationhereinbefore described as taking place at the left hand end of thedevice is repeated at the right hand end thereof, the end 45 of the wire42 being wrapped about the wire 43, in an opposite direction to that inwhich the end 46 was wrapped about the wire 42, it being of courseunderstood that during the operation of stretching and tightening thewires, the grip or clamp 44 will have moved toward the end of the case1, sufliciently, so that the end 45 may be wrapped about the wire 43without engaging the chain 6. lVhile this wrapping of the end 45 aboutthe wire 43 is taking place, it is of course to be understood that theend plates or members will be tilted forwardly, as hereinbeforedescribed, the case 1 being slid to the right, in order to keep the end45 of the wire 42 within the reach of the studs or elements 47.

lVhen the wrapping of the end 45 of the wire 43 has been completed, thetwo ends of the wires are securely spliced, and the splice as an entitymay be removed from the splicing machine through the openings 28 and 48.The completed splice will appear as shown in Fig. 8.

laving thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A device ofthe class described comprising a case; means carried by the case forstretching a pair of wires and overlapping their ends; wire-splicingmechanism arranged to be supported successively on opposite ends of thecase to wrap the end of each of said wires about the other wire; andclamping means supported by the case to engage the wires.

2. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; and wiresplicing mechanismarranged to be mounted successively in the members.

3. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; wire-splicing mechanismarranged to be mounted successively in the members; and a locking devicefor maintaining the members in fixed relation with respect to the case.

4. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; wire-splicing mechanismarranged to be mounted successively in the members; a rod connecting themembers; and a wire-engaging clamp slidably mounted upon the rod.

5. A device of the class described comprising a case; means carried bythe case for stretching a pair of wires and overlapping their ends;tiltable members assembledwith opposite ends of the case; wire-splicingmechanism arranged to be mounted successively in the members to wrap theend of each of said wires about the other wire; a rod connecting themembers; and a wireengaging clamp slidably mounted upon the rod.

6. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; movable jaws carried by themembers; and wire-splicing mechanism arranged to be engagedsuccessit'ely by the jaws.

7. A device of the class described comprising a case; a radially slottedwheel arranged to be supported successively at opposite ends of the caseand provided with late ally extending wire-engaging elements; and meansfor operating the wheel.

8. A device of the class described comprising a case; a radially slottedratchet wheel arranged to be supported successively at opposite ends ofthe case and provided with laterally extending wire-engaging elements;and a lever for operating the wheel permanently assembled therewith.

9. A device of the class described comprising a case; means carried bythe case for stretching a pair of wires and overlapping their ends; aradially slotted wheel arranged to be supported successively at oppositeends of the case and provided with laterally extending elements arrangedto engage the end of each wire to wrap the same about the other wire;and means for operating the wheel.

10. A device of the class described comprising a case; means carried bythe case for stretching a pair of wires and overlapping their ends; aradially slotted ratchet wheel arranged to be supported successively atopposite ends of the case and provided with laterally extendingwireengaging elements arranged to engage the end of each wire to wrapthe same about the other wire; and a lever for operating the wheelpermanently assembled therewith.

11. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; a radially slotted wheelarranged to be mounted successively in the members and provided withlaterally extending wire-engaging elements; and means for operating thewheel.

12. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of thecase; a radially slotted ratchetwheel arranged to be mounted successively in the members and providedwith laterally extending wire-engaging elements; and a lever foroperating the wheel permanently assembled therewith.

13. A device of the class described comprising a case; means carried bythe case for stretching a pair of wires and overlapping their encs;tiltable members assembled with opposite ends of the case; a radiallyslotted wheel arranged to be mounted successively in the members andprovided with laterally extending elements arranged to engage the end ofeach wire to wrap the same about the other wire; and means for operatingthe wheel.

14. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; a radially slotted wheelarranged to be mounted suecessively in the members and provided withlaterally extending wire-engaging elements; a rod connecting the plates;at wire-engaging clamp slidably mounted upon the rod; and means foroperating the wheel.

15. A device of the class described comprising a case; tiltable membersassembled with opposite ends of the case; a radially slotted ratchetwheel arranged to be mounted successively in the members and providedwith laterally extending wire-engaging elements; a lever for operatingthe wheel permanently assembled therewith; a rod connecting the members;and a wire-engaging clamp slidably mounted upon the rod.

16. A device of the class described comprising a case; means carried bythe case for stretching a pair of wires and overlapping at their ends;tiltable members assembled with opposite ends of the case; a radiallyslotted wheel arranged to beengaged successively by the jaws andprovided with laterally extending wire -engaging elements; means foroperating the wheel; a rod connecting the members; and a wire-engagingclamp slidably mounted upon the rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE D. HAYES. lVitnesses V. A. MILLER, A. inse.

